DU’s goals-for/goals-against numbers make it hard to believe the Pioneers are the country’s top ranked team. In WCHA play, DU (10-3-3) is just plus-7 in scoring margin (47-40). Overall, the Pios (14-5-3) are plus-12 (69-57). To that end, I filed the following story for tomorrow’s paper:

As college hockey’s top-ranked team and a legitimate favorite to win the national title, the University of Denver sure has plenty of statistical pimples. Rated 24th nationally in scoring and 17th in defense, the Pioneers have been accused of occasionally playing short of their potential.

Perhaps that’s a product of beginning the season No. 1 and playing the country’s second most difficult schedule. But in any case, it’s a good problem to have when you’re No. 1 with room to improve.

“We’re capable of a lot more, and that’s exciting to me,” DU coach George Gwozdecky said. “We’ve shown glimpses of the kind of team we can be, and it’s up to us as coaches to bring that out of our team. Certainly, that’s an exciting goal for us.”

On the strength of going a combined 6-0-1 against Minnesota, North Dakota, Colorado College and Boston College, DU enters this weekend’s showdown series at No. 3 Wisconsin atop the two national media polls and tied with Miami (Ohio) in the all-important PairWise Rankings (PWR).

The PWR mimics the method used by the NCAA selection committee to seed its 16-team tournament, so currently, DU would garner a No. 1 regional seed and begin against one of the field’s weakest teams.

Still, DU is annoyed at the games it gave away. In addition to ties at home against Minnesota State and Alaska-Anchorage, there have been blowout losses at Ohio State (4-0), at Alaska-Anchorage (7-3) and at Minnesota-Duluth (6-3).

While the Pioneers have won or split every series and went 2-0 to capture the Denver Cup, they have not won more than three consecutive games.

It takes four straight wins to win the NCAA title.

“Some nights, some guys are going and other guys aren’t,” senior forward and team captain Rhett Rakhshani said. “I’m not going to call them out individually, because there have been nights I could have played better.

“What’s been our downfall _ if it makes sense to use that term _ is that we’ve given up some games because everybody hasn’t been onboard. We’ve talked about complacency, and we think we know how to fix it.”

The keys of improvement are on offense. DU needs more from the all-junior line of center Jesse Martin and Anthony Maiani and Kyle Ostrow, and senior checking-line forwards Matt Glasser, Brian Gifford and Brandon Vossberg.

Maiani, who produced team-highs in assists (30) and points (41) last season, has just 14 points (three goals) in 20 games.

“Individually, a lot of guys could be doing better, and that’s a good thing,” Maiani said. “The potential is there, especially my line. Maybe it’s a confidence thing, but that’s something you can turn around quickly.”

Glasser, Gifford and Vossberg have combined for just six points (three goals) while taking on valuable forechecking and defensive responsibilities. None of them have been scorers at DU, but as seniors, they were expected to chip in more frequently.

“We went into this year looking at the roster and knew we could have a pretty potent offense,” Glasser said. “Has it happened? No. But we have so much depth; it’s kind of easy for some guys to get singled out like that.”

As Glasser noted, the Gifford-centered line with Vossberg and freshman Chris Knowlton (at the time, he’s now pegged to play with Glasser and Drew Shore) was perhaps DU’s best unit in its last series, against Alaska-Anchorage. Even though they’re not producing points, Gifford and Vossberg are playing well at both ends.

The Pioneers have received what they expected from most of their top players. Rakhshani (team-high 15 goals and 29 points) and junior goalie Marc Cheverie (12-2-2, .932 save percentage) are bona fide Hobey Baker Award candidates as national player of the year.

This story is right on. It is amazing that Denver has this record and ranking when one looks at the overall numbers. So yes, there is plenty of optimism if you consider what could be if some players/lines start producing.

Coach

This story is right on. It is amazing that Denver has this record and ranking when one looks at the overall numbers. So yes, there is plenty of optimism if you consider what could be if some players/lines start producing.

Kensler joined The Denver Post in 1989 and has covered a variety of beats, including Colorado, Colorado State, golf, Olympics and the Denver Broncos. His brush with greatness: losing in a two-on-two pickup basketball game at Ohio State against two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.

Terry Frei graduated from Wheat Ridge High School in the Denver area and has degrees in history and journalism from the University of Colorado-Boulder. He worked for the Rocky Mountain News while attending CU and joined the Post staff after graduation. He has also worked at the Oregonian in Portland, Ore., and The Sporting News. His seventh book, March 1939: Before the Madness, was issued in February 2014.